Boxing rankings: The Independent’s pound-for-pound fighters list

The boxing panorama is arguably as intriguing because it has ever been.

The previous few years have seen heavyweight epics for the ages between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, they’ve seen Saul “Canelo” Alvarez set up himself because the face of the game within the eyes of many followers, and so they have seen frequent shows of technical brilliance from champions in lighter weight lessons.

There have been upsets, title unifications, and there was no scarcity of drama – Anthony Joshua’s defeats by Andy Ruiz Jr and Oleksandr Usyk standing out as prime examples.

All of those fights and outcomes have factored into The Independent’s personal high 10, pound-for-pound rankings for males’s boxers, to be up to date month-to-month.

While there is no such thing as a precise science to assembling lists resembling this, a variety of elements have been thought-about in making the rankings, together with every fighter’s total report, latest report, degree of exercise and calibre of opposition.

The Independent’s pound-for-pound rankings

10. Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs)

The diminutive Mexican is a two-weight world champion, having obtained the WBA super-flyweight title along with his split-decision victory over Roman Gonzalez in March 2021. That win noticed Estrada, 32, avenge a 2012 defeat by “Chocolatito”, however its slender nature meant the previous rivals had been set to rematch this March, till Estrada needed to withdraw attributable to Covid signs. Estrada has since outpointed Argi Cortes, and his trilogy bout with “Chocolatito” lastly happening in December, when Estrada gained an in depth battle by majority resolution. His inventive use of angles is one among his standout attributes, making him a enjoyable watch every outing.

9. Devin Haney (29-0, 15 knockouts)

The unbeaten American enters our list following his second straight clinic in opposition to George Kambosos Jr. Haney eased to a unanimous-decision win in opposition to the Australian on Kambosos’ house turf in June to turn out to be undisputed champion at light-weight, earlier than retaining that standing within the pair’s rematch in October – additionally in Melbourne. Prior to these clashes, Kambosos Jr was undefeated. At simply 24 years previous, the most effective remains to be forward of Haney; as such, we count on him to climb these rankings.

8. Vasiliy Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs)

Was considerably surprisingly crushed by our former No 10, Teofimo Lopez, however the 34-year-old has bounced again with three straight wins – most lately in opposition to Jamaine Ortiz – to keep up his standing as the most effective boxers on the earth. The Ukrainian southpaw (one among two on this list…) noticed off Jorge Linares in 2018 to turn out to be WBA light-weight champion and a three-weight title holder, earlier than including additional belts with notable wins in opposition to the likes of Luke Campbell and Jose Pedraza.

7. Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs)

Entered our list in May 2022, following his beautiful victory over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. The Russian remained unbeaten and retained the WBA light-heavyweight title with that consequence, which he achieved by combating on the entrance foot, selecting his photographs correctly, and virtually doubling the output of his opponent. Bivol, 31, gained by two factors on all three judges’ scorecards, although the margins ought to have been a lot wider. A scientific exhibiting that raised the Russian’s profile immensely and certain units up a rematch with Canelo down the road. Before that, although, Bivol was tasked with getting previous the unbeaten Gilberto Ramirez in November. Bivol gained on factors with an aggressive and scientific efficiency, which noticed him rise from ninth to seventh on our list.

6. Tyson Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs)

Has eclipsed Anthony Joshua as the family title in British boxing. Fury, 34, returned to the game in 2018 after three years off attributable to a protracted wrestle along with his psychological well being. Since then, he has established himself as one of many biggest heavyweights of all time, dethroning Deontay Wilder to turn out to be WBC champion within the pair’s 2020 rematch, having controversially drawn with the American of their first conflict, in 2018.

Last October, Fury stopped Wilder for the second battle in a row to retain the belt, which he did once more in April by knocking out Dillian Whyte with ease and as soon as extra in December with a late stoppage of Derek Chisora. A inventive fighter who has demonstrated outstanding resilience and coronary heart within the ring, Fury beforehand held the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles and can look to regain them in a probable conflict with Oleksandr Usyk in 2023. Such a battle would crown an undisputed heavyweight champion.

5. Errol Spence Jr (28-0, 22 KOs)

The American has not been essentially the most energetic fighter in recent times, however he has been slowly constructing a high-quality resume. Spence Jr holds spectacular wins in opposition to the likes of Shawn Porter, Mikey Garcia, Danny Garcia and Carlos Ocampo. The southpaw stopped the latter, in addition to notably ending Kell Brook on the Briton’s house turf earlier in his profession, and a cancelled conflict with Manny Pacquiao would certainly have constructed up Spence even additional had it come to fruition.

Last outing, the 32-year-old beat Yordenis Ugas by brutalising the Cuban’s eye, amassing one other welterweight belt and rising up our rankings within the course of. If he can enhance his exercise, Spence will probably solely proceed to climb right here, particularly if a long-awaited assembly with Terence Crawford involves cross and Spence can win…

4. Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs)

The WBO welterweight champion has probably the most spectacular resumes within the sport, and it simply retains getting higher. Four of the American’s final seven opponents had been undefeated earlier than dealing with him, and all seven had been stopped by Crawford – who has an amazing variety of knockout and TKO victories to his title. Wins in opposition to big-name boxers Kell Brook and Shawn Porter in Crawford’s final two outings have additional enhanced the 35-year-old’s profile, particularly his victory over the latter final outing.

3. Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs)

In the 9 years since his loss to Floyd Mayweather, the Mexican has established himself because the face of boxing, with wins in opposition to Erislandy Lara, Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan, Gennadiy Golovkin, Daniel Jacobs, Billy Joe Saunders and plenty of extra of observe. The effectiveness of the 32-year-old’s counter-punching, slickness of his head motion and fantastic thing about his physique work make him a pleasure to look at.

Detractors will level to Alvarez’s clenbuterol controversy in 2018 and the truth that a couple of of his victories have come by way of controversial scorecards. Supporters will give extra credence to Canelo’s admirable degree of exercise and the good variety of formidable foes he has fought and crushed. His three victories in 2021 – all stoppages – noticed him in the end turn out to be boxing’s first ever undisputed super-middleweight champion. A title holder in 4 weight lessons, the Mexican failed so as to add a second light-heavyweight title to his assortment when he was outpointed by unbeaten Russian Bivol in May 2022.

That consequence, which stunned a variety of followers, marked simply the second defeat of Canelo’s skilled profession and noticed him drop from No 1 in our list to No 4. He rebounded with a decisive factors win in opposition to ageing rival Golovkin, although that consequence proved little at this level and solely sees him climb one spot right here. The formidable Mexican ought to go for the rematch with Bivol quickly.

2. Oleksandr Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs)

Was the one ever undisputed cruiserweight champion of the four-belt period earlier than shifting as much as heavyweight, the place he turned WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO champion in 2021 by outpointing Anthony Joshua with relative ease. The Ukrainian, 35, is undefeated and most lately beat Joshua on factors a second time to retain his heavyweight titles and climb two spots right here. The southpaw, an Olympic gold medalist, is as technical and awkward as they arrive within the heavier weight lessons, making a potential match-up with Fury an intriguing prospect down the road.

1. Naoya Inoue (23-0, 20 KOs)

One of the lesser-known names on this list to the extra informal fan, the Japanese doesn’t lack in prowess what he might lack in profile.

Inoue has the most effective stoppage proportion of any fighter on this list, a part of what makes him such an thrilling fighter to look at – alongside along with his easy evasiveness, brutal physique assaults, and scary degree of output. Most lately, “Monster” lived as much as his nickname as soon as extra by eviscerating Nonito Donaire in a rematch in June, having narrowly outpointed the Filipino of their first battle. With that second victory over Donaire, Inoue added the WBC belt to his assortment of bantamweight titles, and he additionally surged to the highest of this list from No 5.

At 29, the WBA, WBC and IBF title holder – who has additionally held gold in two different weight lessons – has a lot left forward of him.